Bracelet



Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

'UNIT so s'mrss PATENT OFFICE.

N-Ens T. NELSON, or ATTLE'Bono, MASSACHUSETTS, AssmNoRfToa. n. sTUfRDYs lsons oo., oF ATTLEBORO FALLS, MAssAoHUsETT's, A conPointTronl 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

BRACELET.

Application tiled` July 15,y 1925. 'Serial No; 43,776.`

To all whom it may conce-711i. t

Be it knownthat I, Units 'l`-.-,Nn LsoN,v a citizen of the United States, residing et Attleboro, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invcnt'cdcertain new and useful Improvements in Bracelets, of which the following Eis aspeciication.

This invention relates to an improved construction of' entendible bracelet or chai-n structure, and has for'it-s object vto-provide a braceletof this character, which-comprises a series of boxdike units,- each unit having two cooperating relatively.-slida'ble bandshaped4 members,` the body, band member having broadtop `and bottom Wallsfandthe connector band member having relatively narrow sidewalls for: closing the side-soli the body member, the latter member having -an openingthroughwliich the end Wall of the `connector' member may kpass in connecting and disconnecting the links, aspringbeing i ro'vided4 for act-mg uponv these link In`em- )ers tofnorm'allyipresstbem 4vto lcontracted. position.`

A further objectj of this inventionqisV to provide A'the' 'body' member with transverse opening through its bottom Wall adjacent the- `.middle `portion thereof, and to `form the lconnecting band-shaped memberl so that one offrits endwaflls is adaptedstc pass vthrough thespace inthe body' Flink to connect rand `to disconnect one llink from another.

A still further object of :the invention is the :provision vof aguairdfor closure member Withinjthe link members rtoclese" the` slot when tle links'arexcontracted and to vuncover 'the slot when they links are extended.

The invention'urtherconsists in the provision ofan :abutment portion formed on this guard memberE to serve as `a guide 'to assist"` in detacbing Vthe linkmembers when in extended position.'r

A-stillfurther object .fof-the invention is the provision ofrslidingguidesfon the connecting band link'whicli yalso'prevents tbe disengagement of 'the body andcon-necting linkmembers unlesstliey are vtipped at .an angle to fea-'cli 'otlier.

With these and other ob'ects' in NieW, the invention consists yof vcertain novel features of yIconstruction; j jas will f bemo're fully` 1de- Vs'ci.b'etl agiid prtic'iilnrly pointed 'tout/Yin fthe appended claims# Y lIn the accompanying drawings: Figure lis a side elevation illustrating a portion of my improved link bracelet, itsv ends being provided with hooks Wherebyfthey are; detacheblyconnected to'a Wrist \vetcli.

Figure 2is-a perspective view illustrating tbe body band member of the link folded to provide broad top and bot-tom: Walls,l the bottom Wall being slottedtransverselyadjacent its middle portion.

Figure Bis aperspective view ofthe-connecting. band membery of the link folded from sheet -stocktoclose the sides of the` the connecten band `as Vtipped up at an angle relative to the body band, whereby its eind eva-ll may readily passed into and'out ot the body` bend through-its slottedA bottom Figure A(5"is a'cefntral section-al side elevation-showing the cover pla-te as closing the opening-'through thebody band of one of the links, the link members being incontr'acted position.

Figure 7 is ar central 'sectional bottom viewof -tlie parts illustrated'in Fig-ure 6;-

Figure V8`is a sectional side elevationshowing the link members inextended'fposition 4with 'the closure plate in position 1to just; permitfthe :passage of the thin wall ofthe `connector band*through the slot of the body band.L v-

Figure 9 is la 'bottomv view .of the parts in' the position illustrated in'Figure S.

Fig-ure 10 is a sectional view on line 10e-10 of Figure 6'.

Itis found in 'the practical construction and operation of extendiblefbracelets of .this characteigcof advantage to provide a series tin-iongbthis" ottoni ivfill .adjcentits middle portion to permit the passage of the end wall of the connector band through this opening whereby the links may be readily connected to and disconnect-ed from each other to permit insertion or removal of one or more links ot the bracelet or chain to adjust its operating length; also to provide a closure plate to guard the opening through the body band and prevent accidental disengagement of the members when in partially expanded position; a spring being also provided to act upon the band members on each link unit to press them normally to contracted position; and the tot lowing is a detailed description of the present embodiment of my invention showing one means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished ilith reference to the drawing, 1() designates the body or broad band link member, the same being preferably formed from a strip et sheet metal having a relatively broad upper plate or wall 11 adapted to re ceive the maximum amount of ornamentation on its outer surface, also a relatively broad bottom plate or wall 12 to provide an extended-bearing surface for the link upon the arm of the wearer. This bottom plate is provided wth a transverse slot 13 therethrough, preferably adjacent its middle portion to provide an opening for the entrance.

or exit oit the end portion of the next adjacent connecting link member and the walls of this body band link are spaced apart by their end walls 1-l and 15, the end wall 15 being notched as at 1G to receive the guides en the connecting links, as presently described.

Each of the connecting band links 1T is provided with opposite side walls 18 which have inwardly-extending elongated bearing enlargements or guides 19 to lit into and slide longitudinally between the top and bottom walls of the body band link and to enter the notches 16 in the end wall of the body link; also this connecting link is pro vided with a thin end wall-20 of no greater thickness than the side walls, which is reduced inheight to slide between the walls orc the body band 10, and the free ends ol' this connecting' link are oppositely notched as at 21 to provide interengaging hook shaped portions adapted to be snapped one into the other for tie purpose of automatically connecting these tree ends together when ready to be snapped into position in the body link yand these hook-shaped portions may be soldered if desired ttor additional strength at this point.

By forming inwardly-extending guideways or bearing portions 19 on thisiconnects ing band link, it is nicely held. in alignment with the body link and at the same time permits free sliding movement therein. Furthermore these portions 19 act to prevent accidental disengagement of the links, :tor while the end wall 2O of the connecting band is thin enough to slip freely through the opening 13, the said portions 19, co-acting with the end wall 14 of the body link, prevent the end wall 2O coming into registration with the opening 13, unless the connecting band link is first tipped up at an angle relative to the body link.

ln order to permit flexible contracting and expanding action of these bracelet links, l have mounted a coil spring 22 in each oi the link units to act between one end of the body band and one en d of the connect ing band to normally press the links of each unit into contracted position and also permit an extending movement between them.

rlhe links of my improved bracelet struc ture are substantially box-shape in construction having relatively broad top and bottom walls to respectively receive the maximum amount or' ornamentation, to provide the maximum bearing surface against the flesh of the wearer, and to also close the bottom of the link; also the top and bottom wall-s of this band link are narrowly spaced apart, the space being sui'lioient to receive the operating spring between them, and the sides of these body band links are closed by the connecting links which slide along the sides thereof being normally held in closed or contracted position by yaction ot the spring mounted therein.

lVithin the body band member, I have mounted a closure plate 23 which is provided on its sides with inwardly-turned wings 24 to hold the plate in lateral alignment and also form a stop to limit the expansion of the two members and also serve as an abutment to assure positive movement ot the plate to uncover the slot, and I have provided an inturned end ange 25 which serves as al guiding abutment to assist in directing the link member outwardly through the slot 13 in the body member in detaching the same when the link members are in extended position. |This closure plate is moved by frictional contact with the spring and the sliding parts to uncover the opening 13 through the body band when the parts are moved to extended position, and the final movement of the plate being positive by engagement of the link with the wings 24C which serve as an abutment to positively move the plate te uncover the slot permitting the passage of the end bar 2O of the connecting band therethrough. Also, when these parts are released the spring 22 acts to move the plate to closed position and this inturned end 25 is engaged by the bar 21 of the connector band and is forced into the position illustrated in Figures G and 7 in which position the body of this plate `entirely closes the opening 13 to prevent the entrance of foreign matter.

By my improvedconstruction the different links may be readily connected to and disconnected from each other to readily adjust the operating length of the bracelet,

while at the same time there is no possibility of accidental disconnection of the links.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to kbe understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceJ is susceptible, the invention beingv deiined and limited only: by the terms of the appended claims. y

I claim: l

l. An `entendible bracelet structure com` prising a series yof boX-shaped` link units, each having two cooperating relatively slidable sheet metal band links, one forming broad top and bottom walls and the other comparatively narrow side closing walls, the bottom wall of said band link having a lateral slotat substantially the middle of its length to permit the passage of a side band link therethrough for ready detachment of the units one from the other.

2. In an expanding bracelet structure, a series of body band links formed of sheet stock folded to provide broad top and bottom walls, the lat-ter wall having a transverse slot therethrough, and a relatively narrow connecting band link folded from sheet stock to Jcrm sliding side walls to normally close the side spaces of theV body link, the end wall of a connector band link being of such longitudinal width as to prevent free passage through said slot when the links are in extended position.

3. An extendible bracelet structure comprising a series of body band links formed of sheet stock folded to provide top, end and bottom walls with the ends of the band located in the bottom wall and spaced apart to provide a transverse slot, connecting side band links slidable in said body links and forming closures for the sides thereof, the ends of each of said side band links being insertible and removable through one of said slots by manual manipulation.

e. In an expanding bracelet structure, a series of body band links folded from a strip of sheet stock to leave a space between its ends adjacent the middle portion of one of its walls, and a one-piece connector` band link folded from sheet stock to slide in and form closing side walls for said body link, the end wall of a connector link being adapted to be passed through the space in the body link.

5. An entendible bracelet structure comprising a series of box-shaped link units, each having two cooperating relativelyslidahle band links, one forming broad top and bottom walls and the other comparatively narrow side closing walls, the bottom wall ofsaidband link having a lat-eral slot at substantially the middle of its lengt-l1 to permit the passage of a band link therethrough, springs acting between said band lif'ks tofnorma'lly hold them in contracted position,- and cover plate movable with said'side closing` band link to close said slot when said links are in contracted position.

6. In an expanding bracelet structure, a seriesof body band links formed of sheet stock folded to provide broad top and bot tom walls, the latter wall having a transvslot iherethrough,V and a relatively narrow coimecting1 band link 'i from sheet Astock to form sliding normally yclose the side spaces lin-k, the eind wall of ay connector band link being adapted to pass through said slot when 'the links are in extended position, springs for normally holding the links contracted, and a closure plate slidable in said body link to close said slot when the links are contracted and to uncover the same when extended.

7. In an expanding bracelet structure, a series of body band links formed of sheet stock folded to provide broad top and bottom walls, the latter wall having a transverse slot therethrough, and a relatively narrow connecting band link folded from sheet stock to form sliding` side walls to normally close the side spaces of the body link, the end wall of a connector band link being adapted to pass through said slot when the links are in extended position, springs for normally holding the links contracted, and a closure plate slidable in said body link to close said slot when the links are contracted, and to uncover the same when extended, said closure plate having an abutment portion to assist in guiding said end wall of the connector link outwardly through said slot.

S. In an expanding bracelet structure, a series of body band links folded from a strip of sheet stock to leave a space between its ends adjacent the middle portion of one of its walls, and a one-piece connector band link folded from sheet stock to slide in and form closing side walls for said body link, the end wall of a connector link being adapt ed to be passed through the space in the body link, a spring acting between the bands of each unit to hold them normally contracted, and a relatively movable member for normally closing said space and also serving as a guide to assist in detaching` the link members when in extended position.

9. An extendible bracelet structure coniprising a series of box-shaped link units, each having two cooperating` relatively slidable band links, one forming broad top and bottomwalls and the other comparatively narrow side closing walls, the bottom wall of said band link having a lateral slot at substantially' the middle ot its length to permit the passage of a side band link therethrough, springs in each unit to act between said band link to normally hold them in contracted position, a closure plate for said slot slidable relatively thereto, and side ears on said plate between the walls of said side band link to guide the plate in its sliding actions.

10. An entendible bracelet structure coniprising a series ot body band links having` broad top and bottom walls, connecting band links having side closing walls with inwardly extending guides tor slidably engaging said top and bottom walls ot said body link, said bottom wall having a transverse slot at substantially its middle portion, the ends of said guides being spaced from the ends of said connecting band links and forming abntinents to prevent the end wallot said connecting band from being moved into registration with said slot until said links are tipped at an angle to each other.

l1. An extendible bracelet structure oomprising` a series of body band links having top, bottom and end walls, one of said end walls being slotted, said bottom wall being provided with a transverse slot, connecting band links having side closing walls inwardextending gnideways in said connecting links slidably engaging said top and bottom and notched walls and spaced from one end of said connecting link to provide an abutment to prevent the nnnotched wall of said body band registering with said slot unless the connecting links are tipped at an angle to the body link.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature.

NELS T. NELSON. 

